Colonized Chamoru Creation Story


Amongst Guam and Chamoru legends, you will find different themes, different archetypes. Some of them are familiar, common, while some are much more complicated and show clear layers of intervention and influence. This legend for example, which goes by many different names and has lots of different versions is one such fascinating example. It clearly shows European elements. You can see in it tropes that are common in other cultures, where deities visit the human world to test or view real, unvarnished life. And then from these experiences some one or some group is chosen to represent the best that humanity has to offer and others are punished. 

There are versions of this type of story that go back to the Spanish era, but then there are others that show the editing or altering due to educators or writers adapting them in certain ways. One of the things that I enjoy most about this type of Chamoru legend though is how it becomes a creation story for the Chamoru people, after colonization. That despite the differences in each version, in all of them, the Chamoru people are tested by divine beings and culturally, morally, they are proven to be upright, respectful and worthy and thus they are saved or elevated in some way. 

These stories show Chamoru culture, which in a simple binary colonial context has been deprived of its value in comparison to the colonizer, to have real, universal and transcendent value. Chamorus may not have empires, may not have castles, may not have piles of gold, but they have strong, simple values that treat others with respect, something which all the money in the Spanish empire couldn't buy. 

Here is one of my favorite versions of this type of story which is focused around the idea of how the rainbow came into being.  

*******************

Håyi fumå'tinas i Isa?

Annakko' tåtte na tiempo guini gi Islan Guåhan, guaha meggai na yi'os. 

Guaha meggai che'cho'-ñiha este na yi'os, guaha komprendiyon para taotao, guaha otro ti komprendiyon. 

Guaha yi'os ma represesenta i påtten i langhet yan tåno' yan tåsi. 

Guaha otro yi'os ma representa i siniente yan hinengge siha gi halom i korason taotao, taiguihi inasi'i, guinaiya, emmok yan minesngon.  

 Gi tiempo, i taotao gi islå-ta, ma atan este yi'os ya ma tutuhon sumuespepecha siha. 

Ti ma angongokko siha, sa' ti ma komprende i tarehan-ñiha gi lina'la'.

Pues mandanña' i taotao ya ma diside na para u ma destrosa este siha na yi'os. 

Achokka' i meggaiña na taotao gi tano'-ta mandanña', mañaonao ya manakonfotme put este na plånu, guaha uno na palao'an ti ya-ña.

I na'ån-ña si Vironika, ti malago' na u fanmadestrosa este siha na yi'os. 

Gi me'nan i batkadan taotao, nai manlålahyan todu, ha sangåni todu na båba este ideha, na i hinenggegge-ña ha' na manmaolek yan mantininas este na yi'os. 

Achokka' lastima i bos-ña gi halom i linahyan taotao, ti mismo lastima.  

Put i sinangån-ña si Vironika, manmabengbeng i talanga'-ñiha todu i manyi'os. 

Ma hungok håfa ilek-ña, lao mås impottånte ma diskubre i plånu ginen i otro taotao.

Manguentos i yi'os, ya manmama'plånu lokkue'. 

Anggen este ti manrinespeta siha nu i taotao, pues maolekña ma funas i taotao ya tutuhon ta'lo.

Pues enlugat di i taotao u destrosa este siha na yi’os, i yi’os siha para u yamak i tano’.

Entre todududu i taotao gi hilo' tåno', si Vironika ha' finaboresi nu i manyi'os. 

Guiya ha' humungok i planon-ñiha ya guiya ha' humungok put i chalan lina'la'.

 Pues i yi'os siha manmanhåtsa tollai difirentes kulot gi i langhet, a'annok gi halom i mapagåhes. 

Ma kombida si Vironika na este na tollai taimanu na siña magoggue mientras todududu i otro manmåtai.

Sin hinasso put otro, malågu si Vironika para este na tollai siha ya kumahulo'.

Mientras kumahuhulo' asta i langhet, ha ripåra i ichan yan i lamlam, ha hungok hulu yan pangpang. 

Mañiente linao pues linao.  

 Gi papa'-ña guaha ti tufongon na kilisyånu mane'essalao lao ha osge i tinago' i manyi'us, i bos-ñiha ya ti ha attende siha. 

Gi tiempo mamåra i buruka. Tåya' ume'essalao. Tåya' sunedo, tåya' inina pat kulot fuera di i mitkulot na tollai nai tumotohge. 

Put fin ha hungok i bos-ñiha ta'lo i manyi'us, sinangåni nu siha na gi este na tollai, para u fanmåtto nuebu na taotao, ginen difirentes na lugåt.

Ya i nuebu na tarehå-ña, debi di ha kombida siha hålom para i nuebu na tåno' ni ma na'fanhuyonggue. 

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